Streaming media refers to continuous time-based media transmitted by using the streaming technology in a network, and is the technical basis of Internet Protocol phone (IP phone), video conference and other applications. Along with the continuous improvement of the mobile Internet technology and the constant rising of a data transmission speed, streaming media service data transmission (for example, video watching or making a video call) on a user equipment (mobile terminal) has come into reality.
The following uses video watching as an example to describe a transmission process of video service data in an LTE (long term evolution) network.
As shown in FIG. 1, when a UE (user equipment) needs to play a video, the following steps are performed.
In step 101, a session is established between a UE and a Server (server) that provides a video in a core network. Once the session is established, the UE performs step 102, i.e., sending, to the Server, a video play request, including an identifier of the video needed to be played. After the Server receives the video play request, step 103 is performed, i.e., sending the service data of a requested video to the UE.
The above service data sent to UE by the Server first reaches an eNodeB (evolved NodeB). If there are schedulable resources on the eNodeB, the eNodeB performs step 104 i.e., scheduling the service data to the UE by using an LTE air interface. Otherwise, the eNodeB caches the service data, and until schedulable resources appear, performs step 104. After the service data is received, the UE begins to play the video.
When the UE stops the currently played video, the UE performs step 105, i.e., sending a video service terminate instruction to the Server via LTE application-layer signaling. After receiving the video service terminate instruction, the Server stops delivering the service data of the video requested by the UE.
The eNodeB is only responsible for transmitting the video service terminate instruction, without parsing the content of the instruction. Therefore, the eNodeB does not learn that UE has stopped the currently played video, and continues to schedule the cached service data to the UE by using the LTE air interface. In this case, the video playing has been stopped, and therefore, the UE does not need the service data of the video, resulting in a waste of LTE air interface resources on the eNodeB due to transmission of this part of service data.
In addition, a delay exists in transmission of the video service terminate instruction in a communication network. Therefore, the Server continues to send the service data of the video requested by the UE to the eNodeB during the period from stopping, by the UE, currently played video to receiving, by the Server, the video service terminate instruction, while the eNodeB schedules the service data that is not required by the UE to the UE by using the LTE air interface, further intensifying the waste of LTE air interface resources on the eNodeB.